Dark Summer Book Fest

A new Book Festival is coming to Framingham this summer! The first annual Dark Summer Book Fest invades the Framingham Public Library on Saturday, August 8th, 2026, running from 11am-5pm. This one's for all the dark fiction lovers, whether your particular interest is crime fiction, horror, fantasy, paranormal romance, weird westerns, literary fiction, or any number of other things!

Walk ins are more than welcome, but if you'd like to register for a reminder email and/or to get added to our Dark Fiction/Genre Author Event email list, please fill out this form: 
https://framinghamlibrary.short.gy/darksummerbookfest

Panel Schedule

11:20am-12:00pm: A Literal Dark Summer panel (Costin Room)
     - Erin Bowman (moderator/panelist)
     - Leila Siddiqui
     - Heather Abel
     - E.K. Sathue
     - Aaron Starmer
     - Claudia Lux

12:15-12:55pm: Pulp Crime for Modern Times panel (Costin Room)
     - Margot Douaihy (moderator/panelist)
​     - Alaina Urquhart
​     - Rob Hart
​     - V.A. Vazquez
​     - Ana Reyes
     - Ryan Lowell

1:00-1:40pm: Let's Make it Weird: A Transgressive Fiction panel (outside)
     - Brandon Perras-Sanchez (moderator/panelist)
​     - Alex Gonzalez
​     - B.R. Yeager
​     - Daniel J. Volpe
​     - Christoph Paul

1:10-1:50pm: Loving the Monster: A Romance Panel (Costin Room)
     - Kathryn Ann Kingsley (moderator/panelist)
​     - M.J. Etkind
​     - Aleese Lin
​     - Kayla Cottingham
​     - Laurie Faria Stolarz
​     - Gillian Daniels

2:05-2:45pm: Escaping Reality panel (Costin Room)
     - Jedediah Berry (moderator/panelist)
​     - Kelly Link
     - Robert Mgrdich Apelian
​     - Daniel José Older
​     - Sacha Lamb
​     - Liz Gotauco

3:00-3:40pm: A Conversation w/ Guest of Honor Andrew Joseph White and Louangie Bou-Montes (Costin Room)

3:55-4:35pm: Writing Indigenous Fiction for All Ages (Costin Room)
     - Shane Hawk (moderator/panelist)
​     - Makana Yamamoto
​     - Christine Hartman Derr
​     - Karina Iceberg
​     - James Bird

Events/Workshops Schedule

11:15am: Author-led storytime (J Program Room)
     - w/ Josh Funk, Karina Iceberg, and Phaea Crede

12:30-1:30pm: Creating Graphic Novels w/ Ira Marcks (SparkLab) - 6-12th grades
     - Register here: https://framinghamlibrary.short.gy/Ira-Marcks-Dark-Summer

2:00-3:00pm: Personal Zines w/ Robin Gow (J Program Room) - Teen/Adult
     - Register here: https://framinghamlibrary.short.gy/Zines-Robin-Gow

2:00-3:00pm: World-building/mini-comic workshop w/ Shelli Paroline/Braden Lamb (SparkLab) - 3-8th grades
     - First come first serve: Grab a ticket from the Children's Librarian starting an hour before the program starts to ensure your spot

3:30-4:30pm: Character Design w/ Ira Marcks (SparkLab) - 6-12th grades
     - Register here: https://framinghamlibrary.short.gy/Ira-Marcks-Dark-Summer

All Day: Family scavenger hunt (Children's Room)

Dark Summer Book Fest Guests!

Andrew Joseph White - Guest of Honor

Aaron Starmer
Alaina Urquhart - Books for purchase will be pre-signed, however she will be doing a photo line from 1:30-3:30pm after her Pulp Crime panel! Stop by her table upstairs after the fest opens at 11 to get a ticket to guarantee a spot in the photo line
Aleese Lin
​Alex Gonzalez
Ana Reyes
​Aron Beauregard
Brandon Perras-Sanchez
B.R. Yeager
Christine Hartman Derr
Christoph Paul
Claudia Lux
Crissa-Jean Chappell
Daniel José Older - Tabling after Escaping Reality panel from 3-4pm
Daniel J. Volpe
Douglas R. Dumont
E.K. Sathue
Erin Bowman
Heather Abel
Ira Marcks
​James Bird - Tabling before/after Writing Indigenous Fiction for All Ages panel from 3-3:45pm and 4:35-5pm.
Jannie Ho
​Jedediah Berry
Jeff Pintabona
J.L. Rothstein
Josh Funk
Karina Iceberg
Kathryn Ann Kingsley
Kayla Cottingham
Kelly Link
​Kristopher Triana
Laurie Faria Stolarz
Leila Siddiqui
​Liz Gotauco (aka, Cosbrarian)
Lorien Lawrence
Louangie Bou-Montes
Makana Yamamoto
Margot Douaihy
M.J. Etkind
Nick Eliopulos
Phaea Crede
Renee S. DiCamillis
Robert Mgrdich Apelian
Rob Hart
​Robin Gow
​Rowan Perez
Ryan Lowell
Sacha Lamb
Sean Foy
Shane Hawk
Shelli Paroline & Braden Lamb
V.A. Vazquez
Via Luino
Victoria Dalpe
 

Previously announced, and unfortunately no longer able to attend this year:

Alexis Powell
Cassandra Khaw
David Simmons
Freddie Kölsch
Hank Phillippi Ryan
John Langan
Kendall Kulper
Ox Devere
Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Vanessa Lillie
Victoria Wilder